10 Architectural Gems of L.A. County

Who says Los Angeles and environs is an architectural wasteland? Here are my Top 10 picks of L.A.’s “Architectural Gems” – all of which are open to the public:
1.    The Adamson House in Malibu, a lovely Spanish Colonial Revival home built in 1929 by Rhoda Rindge Adamson and her husband Merritt Adamson. Rhoda was the daughter of the Rindge family, last owners of the Malibu Spanish Land Grant. The house is a showcase of the spectacular tiles of Malibu Potteries.

2.    The Banning Museum in Wilmington, circa 1864. Currently undergoing extensive exterior restoration – but still open to the public – this National Historic Landmark was the home of the founder of the Port of Los Angeles, Phineas T. Banning, and is a crucial link to Southern California history. It’s a rare example of Greek Revival in L.A. – and it has Victorian interiors to boot.
3.    The VDL House in Silverlake. This Richard Neutra home is one of his finest and is one of the best examples of International Style architecture in L.A. Built in 1932 for Neutra and his family – and funded by Dutch philanthropist Dr. C.H. Van der Leeuw (hence the name VDL) – the home is a brilliant showcase of the clean, stark style that grew out of the Bauhaus.
4.    Heritage Square in Highland Park, which is what I like to call L.A.’s “Victorian House Zoo” because these gorgeous specimens were transported from neighborhoods throughout the City of Angels. You can take a trip through time to the end of the 19th century to view the homes and exhibits – and experience special living history events (such as a Victorian Christmas) with museum interpreters in full period clothing.
5.    El Alisal, (also known as The Lummis Home), also in Highland Park, which is a cool little rock house – and by that I’m not talking about music, but the construction of stone quarried from the Arroyo Seco. Aside from its admirable Rustic American/Craftsman style, the late-19th century house is notable for its fascinating owner, Charles Lummis – historian, writer, preservation activist, the L.A. Times’ first city editor, city librarian, and big partier. You can get a thrill just thinking about what went on inside those walls.
6.    The Hollyhock House, located in Barnsdall Park and built in 1921. Built as a residence for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall in a sort of “Mayan Revival” style, it’s one of only a handful of Frank Lloyd Wright homes in L.A. – and the only one open to the public (though it’s currently closed for restoration). Need we say more?
7.    The Avila Adobe, circa 1818, the oldest standing home in Los Angeles. Part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument (the birthplace of Los Angeles), this Olvera Street structure is a gem because it represents our Mexican heritage with its Adobe Style (complete with Hacienda elements) and was the home of Don Francisco Avila, who served as L.A. mayor in 1810. Beyond that, Avila Adobe is SO L.A. – Avila was 50 when he married his second wife Maria Encarnación Sepulveda – who was 15 at the time they wed!
8.    The Guasti Villa (also known as the Busy Berkeley Estate), now home of the Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy. A little bit of Beaux Arts, a little bit of Renaissance Revival, this West Adams house was once the abode of film director/choreographer Busby Berkeley. It’s a jewel for its gorgeous wood-paneled interiors and its meditation gardens and labyrinth.
9.    La Casa Nueva in the City of Industry. This is a spectacular example of Spanish Colonial Revival, complete with beautiful tiles, wrought-iron work and fountain courtyard. Originally built between 1922 and 1927 for the oil-rich Temple family, it was later a boys’ military school and convalescent hospital before the City of Industry bought it in the 1960s.
10. The William S. Hart Ranch, also known as La Loma de los Vientos (or “Windy Hill”), in the Santa Clarita Valley. Another Spanish Colonial Revival, this makes my list because it’s chock-full of Native American and cowboy artifacts and Hollywood mementos of the silent film star cowboy who built it.